Krejcir playmate’s life of luxury

www.playboy.co.zaMarissa Christopher, the girlfriend of Radovan Krejcir, inset centre, is living in a multimillion-rand house in Kallenbach Drive, Linksfield Ridge, aerial view inset top left. Montage: Paul OSullivan, www.playboy.co.za and Independent Newspapers

Johannesburg - An ex-Playboy model is unemployed, but lives in a R15 million house in Linksfield Ridge and drives a fleet of luxurious cars.

Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan believes the reason why Marissa Christopher, 35, can afford to do this is because she’s Czech crime boss Radovan Krejcir’s girlfriend – and bore him a son three months ago.

Christopher was Playboy South Africa’s October 2012 playmate.

She described herself in the magazine spread as a “hopeless romantic who fears loneliness more than anything else in this world”. Her boyfriend, though, has been in police custody for months and failed on no fewer than four occasions to get released on bail.

Christopher has publicly denied being Krejcir’s girlfriend, but The Star has ascertained through numerous sources in the security sector that Christopher has been in a relationship for years, culminating in the birth of their son.

She is the daughter of former Umkhonto weSizwe leader Russell Christopher, who told City Press in 2012 that he was estranged from his daughter, although he had heard of her relationship with Krejcir.

City Press said Krejcir had allegedly bought her a luxury sports car worth about R1m. Both Krejcir and Christopher denied this at the time.

Sources close to the Krejcir investigation have told The Star that Christopher was with Krejcir when he was nabbed late last year and that the two are very close.

Krejcir’s wife, Katerina Krejcirova, and his sons were in the Seychelles at the time.

Until recently, Christopher lived near Krejcir in Kloof Road, Bedfordview. O’Sullivan said Christopher now lives in a multimillion-rand home on Linksfield Ridge that is four storeys high.

He took aerial pictures of the white house, which is on the edge of the ridge.

According to deed searches, the house is worth about R15m.

O’Sullivan said he went to visit Christopher in the house a few days ago to ask her if she was prepared to explain where her wealth came from. She refused to speak to him.

“I told her she was living off the proceeds of crime and that I intended to pursue the matter,” O’Sullivan said.

He described the house as “an ostentatious display of wealth” and questioned where a woman who appeared to be unemployed got all her money from.

Christopher also allegedly drives a Mercedes-Benz ML that is not registered in her name.

O’Sullivan said he contacted the owner of the house, who told him that Krejcir had asked him to accommodate Christopher last year.

The man, who asked not to be involved, said Christopher paid him R90 000 in cash every month in rental and has been living there since October.

The Star called and SMSed Christopher on five numbers linked to her name, but received no response by the time of publication.

Krejcir and three others have been charged with the murder of Zimbabwean debt collector Phumlani Ncube. Krejcir and six others have also been charged with conspiring to murder O’Sullivan and top cop Colonel Nkosana “Killer” Ximba.

Prosecutor Lawrence Gcaba said the State was also charging Miya, Nkosi and Mafunda with the murder of Ncube, whose bullet-riddled body was found near a farm in Heidelberg last July.

Ncube, who lived in Norwood, allegedly worked for Krejcir as his debt collector.

The State believes Krejcir took out a hit on Ncube after he fell out with him.

A source said a police officer, whose name is known to The Star, had stopped Ncube under the pretext that he was arresting him, but instead took him to the hit man.

The case will be joined with the conspiracy to murder charges and has been postponed until June 13 for further investigation.

A source close to the investigation said police were also looking to link Krejcir to two more murders: that of Sam Issa, also known as The Cripple or Black Sam, who was killed in his Audi Q7 near his Bedfordview home in October last year, and German supercar specialist Uwe Gemballa, who was killed in 2010.

Krejcir is also facing separate charges of kidnapping and attempted murder over an alleged drug deal gone wrong last year.

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